Landscape Photographer of the Year 2014

I know we probably shouldn’t be viewing photography as a competitive sport and you know, as long as you’re shooting what you like it’s all good and so on, but, well, what can I say? I don’t mind a bit of validation now and then! So I am absolutely delighted to be able to say two of my images have made it into the 2014 book, and the free exhibition on at Waterloo Station in London from 1st December until 31st of January 2015.

The first one (left) I took in January 2012 of Llyn Idwal in North Wales. The sun is just struggling above the snow capped ridge at noon on this winter’s day, and lake was just completely still. I’ve never seen it like this, either before or since. The rocks above and below the surface provide great foreground detail, and by aiming a wide angle lens down into the water, we can see through the surface. As the angle gets shallower, as the water surface gets further away, the reflection of the mountains and sky takes over. The image on the right, was an opportunistic shot taken on a weekend

trip with friends to the Lake District. We had just driven along the road seen in the picture, and I saw this scene in the rear view mirror. I stopped around the corner at the next park and viewing point and walked back to this point and set up my tripod. The clouds were moving fast across the sky that afternoon, and so, even though this was taken in the middle of the day, the clouds provided that dynamic element to the light – both from the dramatic and moody backdrop, and the pools of light across the valley.